Canadiens News

Ask Gerv! No. 2

Canadiens equipment manager Pierre Gervais answers fan questions

Have questions for Canadiens equipment manager Pierre Gervais? He's got the answers! Every week, Pierre will answer questions from fans submitted through social media. Here's the second edition of Ask Gerv!

Generally, it's three or four, but there are some guys who will easily go through 10 or 12 pairs per year, if not 15. Some players will change them every three or four weeks. Their skates get soft - maybe you couldn't tell by looking at them, but the players say that they get softer. Then there are guys like Brendan Gallagher… I have to fight with him to get him to change his skates! He's different than everyone else.

And there are guys who change too often. They like their skates really, really stiff and change them very often, like Max Pacioretty. I always keep two pairs handy for him. He likes traveling with two pairs of skates, always. Sometimes, he'll practice with one pair and play with the other.

2. Question from Marc Chalifoux, via Twitter

"Which player breaks the most sticks, and who's the most particular when it comes to their sticks?"

The most particular is Alex Galchenyuk. Max Pacioretty and Andrei Markov are also particular with their sticks. All the players prepare their sticks themselves; they prefer it that way. Who breaks them the most? Probably Shea Weber, who breaks them on slapshots pretty often.

3. Question from Lucie Lachance, via Twitter

"What's the weirdest request you've received?"

A well-known goalie recently asked me to get him a salt shaker - he needed some salt for a superstition. Sometimes, Alex Galchenyuk will ask me to go get him some soup from the media lounge because the players don't get any before the games. Back in the day, Russ Courtnall would eat two hot dogs between the second and third periods in the old Forum. I always had to make sure there were two hot dogs ready for him!

There are some others - but I'll keep those ones to myself! (laughs)

If you'd like to ask Pierre Gervais a question, you can do so on Twitter using the hashtag #AskGerv.